Rauner unveiled a new program Tuesday aimed at helping minority and women entrepreneurs grow their businesses, saying African-Americans didn’t come to Chicago “because we had a great welfare system or a great minimum wage,” but because they were seeking opportunity that has since “bled away.”

http://ilnews.org/7288/governor-requests-ilrb-review-of-negotiations-rep-sandack-review-could-be-good-for-taxpayers-and-more-from-inn-radio/

One leaves every five minutes.

A new report by Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration projects that the State of Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills could grow to $25.0 billion in FY2019 from $4.4 billion in FY2015 based on current tax and spending policies.

We’re that red blob in the middle.

Comment: Jim Edgar’s culpability for our problems and lack of credibility goes far beyond the “Edgar Ramp” for pensions, for reasons we wrote about earlier.

They don’t like us there, as you might guess.

So far, AFSCME has stuck with its demands of step salary increases of 3.8 percent, along with regular wage increases. The union also has failed to budge on workers receiving overtime pay after 37.5 hours. It’s estimated the AFSCME proposal would cost the state $1.6 billion per year.

Why are some states losing people, even as the country continues to grow? Jobs, jobs, jobs (and, in some cases, aging).